Monday, May 31, 2010

Kevin Lee’s hard-hitting Dusk Till Dawn is a worthy follow-up to his 2006 full-length effort, Flip The Switch, and furthers his long-standing reputation as an engaging singer-guitarist. Now working with a new back-up band called The Kings, he continues to create melodic songs that meld power pop and hard rock. Lee co-produced his latest effort with Rick Barnes, who’s well known for working with artists like Smashing Pumpkins. The E.P.’s huge, highly polished approach gets a boost from three additional guitarists Lee has brought on board.

“The Other Side,” a high-speed tale of supernatural romance involving a dark-haired temptress, has the feel of hit single. Like “Next Big Thing,” a slap at the way entertainment moguls prepackage superstars, it’s fueled by some searing guitar playing. The mid-tempo “I Still Believe” evokes Cheap Trick as Lee sings of yearning for love and support, while the more energetic power pop of “Slip Away” presents a man and woman who both refuse to confront the problems that are destroying their relationship. An unlisted final track finds Lee working in an acoustic setting, as he portrays a weary world-traveler trying to make his way back to the hometown he left years earlier.

Kevin Lee & The Kings have two gigs coming up in June; Jeff Fest on Chicago’s northwest side on June 26th, and at the Best Buy Stage at Taste of Chicago on June 27th.

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About This Blog

Broken Hearted Toy is an eclectic celebration of creativity, with over 2,000 posts since 2009.

It's based in Chicago but covers power pop, garage, cutting-edge, and 1960s rock from around the globe; along with occasional bits on art; literature; and theatre.

Top of the hill is a nice place to be at. - - - "Elevated Observations" by The Hollies.

Check out some of my previoius creative endeavors.

Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff was a weekly Internet show created by and starring Jeff Kelley. It mostly consisted of comedy bits and obscure 1960s garage rock set to vintage TV and film clips but also spotlighted entertainment events around Illinois.

My wife Pam and I created a handful of series (each episode was about two minutes long) that were shown on Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff. They included Manchester Gallery (see description below); Old Days, which I hosted in the persona of a cranky old man named Fritz Willoughby; Roving Reporter, where I played the clueless title character; What's With Terry?, a performance arts program; and Hanging With The Hollies, a takeoff on Breakfast With The Beatles.

I've also worked with Kelley and Willy Deal on comedy clips, and with Kelley and David Metzger on films for the annual Nightmare on Chicago Street Halloween festival in Elgin.

I'm particularly proud of this 21-episode comedy series Pam and I created for Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff. Each installment was a few minutes long, and featured me portraying Terrence, the curator of a pop culture museum.

I was a staff writer for this Chicago-based magazine from 1987 to 2015. The Illinois Entertainer has been covering rock music for over 40 years, and can be found in stores and entertainment venues, as well as in an online edition.

Chicago Art Machine was a web-based publishing company run by Editor-in-Chief, Kathryn Born, and Managing Editor, Robin Dluzen, that included Chicago Art Magazine, Chicago DIY Film,Chicago Performance And Trailers, and TINC. Most of my submissions appeared in Chicago DIY Film and Chicago Performance And Trailers, although I contributed to all the online Chicago Art Machine publications.

I was a writer and performer with this local comedy group from 1989 to 2009. Famous In The Future continues to perform in the Chicago area, and appeared at every one of the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sinstheatre festivals that were held at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre. Since the closing of the Mary-Arrchie Theatre a few years ago, Famous In The Future has carried on the tradition by presenting Yippie Fest each year in August.

I'm an active member of SCBWI, (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and have written two Middle Grade fantasy novels. I've just finished a YA/paranormal novel, and also wrote a suspense/satiric novel that takes place amidst Chicago's alternative music scene in the mid-1980s.

Broken Hearted Toy

The blog title comes from the line, "I'm the brokenhearted toy you play with" in the song "I Can't Let Go" by The Hollies. One of the great original British Invasion bands, The Hollies continue to have an immense influence on power pop bands to this day, and have finally been inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here is a video of "I Can't Let Go" being performed in 1966.